The Biggest Stride

Yesterday was a gift, a magical day: I ran. After more than six months, the morning that I felt physically ready to give running a shot finally arrived. Of course, this “run” was so brief that it can hardly be classified as such, but I wanted to be hyper-conservative, in case resultant foot pain would crop up later in the day.

As I lifted my left foot to spring into a running stride, I had a momentary taste of panic, fearing that searing pain would still be present in my left foot when it hit the ground. Although my gait felt slightly awkward, I was pain free! With each stride, I gained confidence and smiled wider. A minute of running passes quickly, but when it’s a minute of pure joy, every second is truly delectable.

I’m certain that somehow, my whole body found a way to smile. I passed a guy on his bike and I belted out a cheerful “good morning!” He looked at me and said, “wow, what kind of secret are you hiding to get that big grin?”